Immortality Cultivation

Fang Hao stood on the stone steps, which were wide enough to race horses on, and looked up. The steps extended upwards, vanishing into the depths of the pitch-black tower, with no end in sight. The stone walls on both sides were high and steep, carved with twisted, incomprehensible murals and runes that exuded an ancient, archaic aura. A faint scent of dust hung in the air, and it was terrifyingly quiet; he could only hear his own heartbeat.

"Everyone has already run off..." Fang Hao muttered. That bunch from the Mu Family and Heavenly Sword Sect ran faster than rabbits; they were probably already rushing upwards. He wasn’t in a hurry, though; he decided to stay steady and observe the environment first. This hellish place looked ominous, and rushing in blindly was a good way to fall into a trap.

He activated his Clear Spring Spirit Eyes to carefully scan the steps and stone walls. He didn’t find any obvious traps or Restrictions, but the steps themselves seemed to have a strange suction force; standing on them for too long made his Qi circulation feel just a tiny bit sluggish.

"Alright, time to head up. Whether it’s a mule or a horse, I’ll have to take it for a ride." Fang Hao took a deep breath and stepped onto the stairs.

As soon as he stepped onto the first step, a sudden change occurred! Hum—! The runes on the surrounding stone walls suddenly lit up with a faint glow! The scenery before him blurred and twisted! Fang Hao felt the world spinning, as if he had been shoved into a tumble dryer. By the time he steadied his mind, he realized he was no longer on the steps, but standing inside a huge, empty stone hall!

The stone hall had bare stone walls on all four sides, and a pitch-black dome overhead. There was nothing else, except for a figure standing right in the center.

No, it wasn’t a person! It was a Puppet! Its entire body was crafted from some kind of dark gold metal. It was humanoid, expressionless, with red light flashing in its eye sockets, and it held a giant sword that looked like a door panel, radiating a Qi fluctuation equivalent to the Early Golden Core Stage.

"Is this the trial of the first level? Fighting a wooden dummy?" As this thought flashed through Fang Hao’s mind, the golden puppet moved!

Swish! It was incredibly fast! The giant sword swept across his waist with a shrill whistle that tore through the air! The force was immense!

"Well come!" Fang Hao didn’t dare to be careless. He executed his Divine Spirit Steps, sliding sideways to narrowly dodge the blade. At the same time, he unsheathed his yitian sword and used a Move from the Dividing Light Sword Shadow, covering the golden puppet’s vitals with dozens of sword beams!

Ding ding dang dang—! Sparks flew everywhere! The sword beams struck the Puppet’s body, leaving only shallow white marks; they couldn’t break its defense at all! This thing was ridiculously hard!

"Damn! It’s this hard?" Fang Hao was startled. The golden puppet ignored the feints, swung its giant sword, and delivered another heavy downward strike! The wind from the sword was so oppressive it made it hard to breathe!

Fang Hao dodged again, his sword tip striking at the Puppet’s joints! Still useless! This Puppet was a seamless whole, and even its joints were protected!

"Damn it, you’re forcing me to use my full strength!" Fang Hao was getting fired up. He activated the Starfall Sword Art, and the starlight on the blade flared brilliantly, carrying a faint embryonic form of Sword Intent. Meteor Strike! He merged with his sword and thrust towards the spot on the Puppet’s chest where the energy fluctuation was most obvious!

Clang—!!! A deafening explosion rang out! The golden puppet was knocked back three steps, and a shallow pit appeared on its chest! But... it still hadn’t broken through!

"You’ve got to be kidding me?" Fang Hao’s arm went numb, and he cursed inwardly. What was this thing made of? Nascent Soul Stage defense, perhaps?

The golden puppet, having taken a hit, seemed to be enraged. The red light in its eye sockets intensified, and it swung its giant sword even more violently. The sword wind howled, scraping a layer off the ground!

Fang Hao was forced to retreat repeatedly, relying only on his movement techniques to circle it, as his yitian sword hits felt like scratching an itch. He tried the Star Shattering Finger, but his finger bones ached from the impact, while the Puppet remained unfazed. He shone the empty clarity mirror at it; the mirror light distorted space, allowing him to slow the Puppet’s movements for an instant, but it quickly adapted!

"This won’t do! I have to find a weakness! Or use a more ruthless Move!" While dodging, Fang Hao frantically used his Clear Spring Spirit Eyes to observe. He discovered that the Puppet’s energy source was a core in its chest, but it was protected too securely. Although its movements were fierce, there was a minute hesitation between its transitions. Moreover, it seemed to only know a few fixed sets of sword techniques and lacked intelligence.

"Got it!" Fang Hao’s eyes sharpened. He stopped fighting head-on and alternated between Divine Spirit Steps and Shrinking the Ground to an Inch. His figure became like a ghost, spinning around the golden puppet at high speed, specifically baiting it into using wide, sweeping Moves.

The golden puppet took the bait, its giant sword dancing wildly as it chased Fang Hao’s shadow, hacking the ground into a pitted mess.

Now! Fang Hao spotted an opportunity. The moment the golden puppet’s downward strike missed and its old force was spent while the new one hadn’t yet arisen, he suddenly used Shrinking the Ground to an Inch to close in. His left hand instantly condensed the Seven Absolutes Sword Seal, and he slammed a profound rune onto the Puppet’s sword-wielding wrist!

Hum! The rune flashed, and the golden puppet’s right arm movement suddenly froze! Although it only froze for less than half a breath, it was enough!

"Die!" Fang Hao roared. He poured all his Qi into the yitian sword, pushing that embryonic Sword Intent to its limit! Starfall Sword Art—Army Breaker! The sword light condensed into a single, extreme point of cold starlight; it was no longer a thrust, but a pinpoint strike! It struck with absolute precision at the center of the shallow pit on the golden puppet’s chest!

Puchi! This time, the sword tip finally broke through the defense! It pierced deep inside! Violent Sword Qi erupted within the Puppet’s body!

The golden puppet’s body shook violently, the red light in its eye sockets flickering rapidly, and then, with a "crack," the core in its chest shattered! Its massive body froze in place, and then with a "boom," it fell apart into a pile of dark gold metal parts, clattering as they scattered across the floor.

At the same time, a pure energy orb, radiating a faint starlight, floated out from the shattered core and hovered in mid-air.

"Did I pass?" Fang Hao panted, wiping the sweat from his brow. Good grief, this Puppet was truly troublesome! If he hadn’t found the weak point, he might have been the one to lose if he had just tried to wear it down! He reached out to touch the orb.

The orb instantly merged into his body! A warm current surged through his limbs and bones, rapidly restoring his consumed Qi, and even faintly strengthening his Physical Body and Meridians! It felt better than taking a Medicinal Pill!

"Good stuff! Is this the reward?" Fang Hao’s spirits lifted. Breaking the Puppet gives pure energy? This trial isn’t bad!

Just as he finished absorbing the energy, the wall on one side of the stone hall slid open silently, revealing a staircase leading upward.

"Looks like I have to fight my way up level by level?" Fang Hao understood the rules. He composed himself and stepped onto the stairs.

On the second level, the scene changed to a cave filled with sharp metal spikes. The trial was to dodge flying blades shooting from all directions and persist for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. Relying on his Divine Spirit Steps and the fragmented Shadowless Evasion Technique, Fang Hao passed without danger and gained another orb of energy.

The third level was a sea of raging flames that he needed to traverse. Fang Hao activated the Chaos Derivation Art, and by relying on the affinity of Chaos Qi with fire and the formidable Physical Body of his Minor Achievement Hundred Refinements Golden Body Art, he pushed through by brute force. Although he was scorched and covered in soot, he gained even more energy.

The fourth level was a frozen, extremely cold snowfield with bone-chilling cold. Fang Hao followed the same method and passed with difficulty.

The fifth level was a swamp with doubled gravity, making movement difficult. Fang Hao relied on his formidable Physical Body and Shrinking the Ground to an Inch to forcefully break through.

The sixth level was an illusion trial, filled with Heart Demons. Fang Hao had a firm Dao Heart and the protection of the Ethereal Art for his Divine Sense, so he managed to see through the falsehoods and emerge, breaking out in a cold sweat.

With each level he passed, the difficulty increased, and the rewarded energy became purer and more abundant. Relying on his many methods and solid foundation, Fang Hao managed to pass through, though he was exhausted like a dead dog each time. His Qi became more refined through the repeated cycles of consumption and replenishment, his Physical Body became tougher from being repeatedly washed by the energy, and even that embryonic Sword Intent became a bit more solid.

When he stepped onto the stairs leading to the seventh level, he pondered: "The previous levels were all environmental or Puppet trials; this seventh level should have some new tricks, right?"

As soon as he stepped onto the seventh level, the scene before him changed, and it was another stone hall. But this time, the hall was completely empty.

Just as Fang Hao was puzzled, the wall opposite flashed with light, condensing into a humanoid light figure. The light figure gradually solidified, and it actually turned into the appearance of a young Cultivator holding a long sword with a cold expression! The cultivation fluctuation was clearly at the Peak of the Early Golden Core Stage! What made Fang Hao’s pupils constrict even more was that this light-figure Cultivator was radiating an incredibly sharp Sword Intent! Although it was also an embryonic form, it was much more solid than Fang Hao’s, at least having three parts of maturity!

"Defeat me to pass." The light-figure Cultivator spoke in a cold, emotionless voice.

Before the voice had even faded, it had transformed into a sword beam, thrusting straight at Fang Hao’s face! Before the sword arrived, that sharp Sword Intent was already stinging Fang Hao’s skin!

"Sword Intent Incarnation?!" Fang Hao’s expression changed drastically! This level was actually a fight against an opponent with Sword Intent!